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The Power of Salt: a Holistic Approach to Salt in the Prehistoric Circum-Caribbean Region

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The Power of Salt: a Holistic Approach to Salt in the Prehistoric Circum-Caribbean Region THE POWER OF SALT: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SALT IN THE PREHISTORIC CIRCUM-CARIBBEAN REGION By JOOST MORSINK A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2012 1 © 2012 Joost Morsink 2 To my father and mother, Johan & Ireen 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have been instrumental in the completion of this study. First, and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. William Keegan. Besides being the best advisor I could have wished for, Bill has also been a good friend. Many of the thoughts in this study are a product of our interaction and he constantly pushes me to explore new academic boundaries and topics. His willingness to share all his resources at the Florida Museum of Natural History, including collections, the Ripley Bullen Library and office space, have much improved the quality of my work. Without his recommendation letters I could not have ever received the funding that I did and finished in such a timely matter. Finally, his effort and investment of time to comment on my writings is much appreciated. I would also like to thank Dr. Susan Gillespie. She has been a crucial part of my transformation from a ‘European archaeologist’ to an ‘American four-field anthropologist’ and her classes form a strong foundation of the theoretical orientation in this study. I am very grateful for her guidance throughout my stay at UF and her ability to summarize and focus my thoughts has significantly helped me move forward in my academic development. I like to thank Dr. Susan deFrance for all her help and sharp remarks. Often, I would get too distracted with theory and she would put be back in place and remind me that this is a much more practical study. Her knowledge about the Caribbean region and positive attitude motivated me to write this thesis. Finally, her recommendation for the Elizabeth Eddy study writing grant gave me the financial basis to quickly finish this study. 4 I would like to thank Dr. Mark Brenner for his insights on salt production. His emphasis on the ecology of salt ponds and their seasonality has significantly pushed the agenda and brought me to my interpretations. Also, I would like to thank him for inviting me to visit the salt works in Las Coloradas, Yucatan, Mexico. Seeing the salt works first hand and experiencing the warm and welcome atmosphere of Yucatan made me realize how connected this region is to the Caribbean. This study would not have been possible without the financial aid by many institutions. I thank the Fulbright center in the Netherlands, the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the National Science Foundation, the Florida Museum of Natural History Associates and the Department of Anthropology for providing their resources. I am extremely proud to be a recipient of these grants. The Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources, in particular Dr. Wesley Clerveaux and Dr. Eric Salamanca, and the Turks & Caicos National Trust, in particular Ethlyn Gibbs, for all their help, facilities and hospitality during our stay there. Special thanks to Officer Wilson, aka supercop, for saving our project. I would like to thank Sylvia Chappel and Michael Dion for all their help during my fieldwork in St. Lucia and Turks & Caicos Islands. It was incredible to see how much devotion these two women have to help people like me in the field. Besides their much appreciated financial contribution, I truly enjoyed interacting and working with them. I would like to thank the reminder of my field crew, Christopher Altes and Isaac Shearn. They stuck with me on ‘the rock’ throughout the six weeks and together we conquered the millions and millions of mosquitoes. Without both their hard work, this fieldwork would not have been as successful as it was. Chris deserves more acclaim. 5 Throughout my stay at UF, he became a really good friend. His help with GIS, maps and data management is much appreciated, as much as the times we brew beer together. Many thanks Michelle LeFebvre for her analysis of the zooarchaeological data of the site. Without her expertise, this part of the analysis would not have had the quality it has now. I am very happy that she was willing to go beyond a mere analysis and help with the interpretation process. I thank Josh Torres for sharing his expertise and forms for the pottery analysis. Interactions with him have always been pleasant and helpful. It is great to have a peer working on similar issues in the Caribbean region and discuss solution that we could provide to the field. I would like to thank Debby Mullins and Betsy Carlson as well. They are partially responsible for my move to UF. They both gave me the confidence that this would be a good career move and made me feel welcome when I arrived in Gainesville. I could not have asked for a better welcome-committee. My gratitude also goes out to my peers at UF, especially Gypsy Price and Zack Gilmore. Having a social life is as important as an academic one. Discussions in and out of class have significantly helped me formulate my arguments. More importantly, both helped me to retreat sometimes from academia and enjoy some free time. I would also like to thank Kristina Ballard for her willingness to draw my pottery. I would like to thank my friends in the Netherlands, especially Jimmy Mans and Renske Baten. Leaving your home country and the people you love was not an easy decision. However, the way I was welcomed every time I returned reminded me how 6 strong these relationships are. That, in combination with the friends that visited, gave me the confidence to continue my work at UF. They have no idea how much they supported me. I would like to thank Kathy, Bobby, Robert and Erin as well for welcoming me in their family. Being away from home was not always easy, but it was much easier by their openness and hospitality. My deepest gratitude to my father and mother, Johan and Ireen. I could not have asked for better support from my family. Although their financial support facilitated my stay, their moral support was essential for my success. They have always given me the confidence to choose what I wanted to do. This study is as much theirs as it is mine. Finally, my biggest thank you goes out to Anna. She is the best thing that has happened to me in these years in Gainesville. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... 11 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 12 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 16 1.1 Relationism ....................................................................................................... 19 1.2 Value and Power............................................................................................... 21 1.3 A Practice-Oriented Relationist Approach to Salt ............................................. 23 1.4 The Power of Salt ............................................................................................. 24 2 AN ECONOMY OF SALT ....................................................................................... 30 2.1 Salt Extraction ................................................................................................... 31 2.2 Evaporation ....................................................................................................... 36 2.3 Uses of Salt ...................................................................................................... 41 2.4 Consumption of Salt .......................................................................................... 43 2.5 Preservative Quality of Salt ............................................................................... 48 2.6 Salt’s Importance in the Past ............................................................................ 51 2.7 Archaeology and Salt ........................................................................................ 54 2.8 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 55 3 THE SOCIALITY OF SALT ..................................................................................... 58 3.1 Salt .................................................................................................................... 61 3.2 Food .................................................................................................................. 65 3.3 Physicality of Food and Future-oriented Practices ............................................ 69 3.4 The Gift of Food ................................................................................................ 74 3.5 Feasts ............................................................................................................... 80 3.5.1 Diachronic Perspective on Feasting as a Social Strategy ....................... 85 3.5.2 A Career of Produce Exchange ............................................................... 90 3.6 A Feast of Salt .................................................................................................
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